FDA Barking Up Wrong Tree

Oh brother.

FDA takes aim at salt content in processed food

The Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to gradually reduce the salt consumed each day by Americans, saying that less sodium in everything from soup to nuts would prevent thousands of deaths from hypertension and heart disease. The initiative, to be launched this year, would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products.

The government intends to work with the food industry and health experts to reduce sodium gradually over a period of years to adjust the American palate to a less salty diet, according to FDA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the initiative had not been formally announced.

Officials have not determined the salt limits. In a complicated undertaking, the FDA would analyze the salt in spaghetti sauces, breads and thousands of other products that make up the $600 billion food and beverage market, sources said. Working with food manufacturers, the government would set limits for salt in these categories, designed to gradually ratchet down sodium consumption. The changes would be calibrated so that consumers barely notice the modification.

OK, now I’m ALL for making processed foods healthier. BUT– and these are important buts–

• Salt is used as a preservative for processed foods. So if you don’t process foods with salt, what are you going to process them with? Chemicals? I much rather have salt than chemicals!
• Some of the ingredients in some processed foods are subsidized by the government. The ingredients in processed foods: sugars, corn syrup, etc etc, are all subsidized by bills.
• Processed foods are often promoted or made available by the government. Take a peek at what’s being served up in public schools, senior centers, prisons, etc. A lot of those meals are processed.
• Our entire post-WW II culture was built on processed foods. It was viewed as being patriotic for the mom to serve processed foods to the family so she could volunteer or work outside the home.
• Why is junk food more expensive than fruits and vegetables? Because the junk foods are subsidized by the government, and can keep the prices low. I recently watched the movie “Food Inc,” and while not much of the information was new to me, a lot of it was confirmation of good ol’ common sense. For one– the biggest factor in obesity cases is INCOME. That’s just mind-boggling, but it’s very true. Rich people can afford fresh fruits and vegetables. Poor people have to settle for canned fruits and vegetables, and eat meals heavy in meats and fats. Why is this?! It’s not because rich folks can afford fat burners, no. It’s because rich folks can afford to eat healthy, while poor people can not.

Most importantly– why doesn’t the FDA address the problems with corn syrup?? That’s the real crucible. Corn syrup is EVERYWHERE and corn is heavily subsidized and protected by government interests.

I think the FDA should quit throwing up smoke screens and turn to its own house: slash any governmental deals with subsidized food industry bigwigs, and corn syrup makers. Get that crap out of our food. I know that a lot of the major media corps have stated that there is no real data that corn syrup is bad for us, but I have a few things to point out: one, who has done those studies that say corn syrup is harmless? Those who have a vested interest in the corn syrup industry (answer: yes, at least as far as I have seen); two, the widespread introduction of corn syrup into our foods began in the 1970s. At that same time and since then, our country has suffered an explosion of obesity and health problems. Coincidence? Come on, quit the lab rats stuff– we’re talking about historical data.

It’s all definitely food for thought, it is.

It’s time to grow locally, people!